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Story: Floods

Edgecumbe flood, 2017

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Around 50 flooded suburban houses and a broken stop bank.

Following heavy rain from the remnants of Cyclone Debbie, the stopbank protecting Edgecumbe from the Rangitāiki River was breached on the morning of 6 April 2017. The town flooded rapidly, giving residents just minutes to escape from their homes.          

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Whakatane Beacon

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Floods – 21st century floods, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/46848/edgecumbe-flood-2017 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 26 July 2017, updated 1 February 2024.